


A Second Chance

by Froggy1988



Series: Redemption Citadel [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25532005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Froggy1988/pseuds/Froggy1988
Summary: This is a love story, like many others. Except the characters are different than in most. One, the King Edmund a man who has been driven slightly insane by twenty-five years of isolation, a man who was born to rule a plagued Kingdom and guard the dark powers of the moonstone. The other, a middle-aged woman who having spent twenty years working in a brothel who has moved to a city being rebuilt to get a second chance.A OC/ Edmund, Tangled the Series story.  A companion piece to my story Redemption Citadel, so slight mentions of Cassandra/Varian, and Eugene/Rapunzel.Now Complete!
Relationships: Edmund/OC
Series: Redemption Citadel [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849981
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13





	1. Varian

Sophia looked at the young man sat on the bed in front of her, he was younger than her usual customer, but in no way the youngest she'd ever had.

"So, what's it to be?" 

" I want to talk."

"Men don't usually pay me for talk, but as long as you pay me." She shrugged.

The man held up some silver coins.

"What's your name?" 

"Sapphire." He raised an eyebrow. 

"Are you sticking with that?"

She gave a small shrug.

"I'm Varian." 

She flinched backward, looking at his cool stare, he didn't look dangerous, but she'd heard things.

" I don't want any trouble."

" Neither do I."

" Your the one who disappeared those girls."

"Disappeared?"

" I heard talk, that you'd been to brothels in other towns and girls disappeared."

"Oh, they're traveling with me, to the Dark Kingdom."

"The Dark Kingdoms a wasteland."

"Now, but it won't be for much longer. Let me get straight to the point, I overheard the guy who runs this place talking in town, he found out one of the girls was pregnant this morning."

"What of it?"

"He's taking her to abort the baby this afternoon."

She shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't know if that's her choice or his. But women die quite often in those surgeries, the people who do them don't know what they're doing, it's unclean, of course not to mention if something were to go wrong she wouldn't be able to see a doctor for fear of being hung for murdering the unborn child."

"And how's it any of your business?"

"It's not, I just thought, if she were interested, she could come with me instead. You both could, you could come help rebuild the Dark Kingdom. In six months you'd have a house, and they'll be enough jobs."

"You building your own brothel?"

"No, other jobs."

"Why?"

"I need people."

"Why her?"

In her experience, when things seemed too good to be true, they were. Angelica was her friend, and however desperate her situation she didn't want to push her out of the frying pan and into the fire

" Does she want the child?"

"Well, yes, she's my friend, I know she's tried to hide the pregnancy. She thought she could find a way out before anybody found out."

" Well," He said standing up. "Go get her, then, come with me."

"Listen, people like me and Angelica, we don't get out."

"Well, maybe today you do. What's your real name?"

"Sophia."

"Come with me Sophia, come to the Redemption Citadel, become whoever it is you want to be." 

She took a deep breath.

"You're not going to murder us?"

"Cross my heart."

"Well then, I'll go talk to Angelica."

Thus could be the worst or best decision of her life. Time would tell.


	2. Cassandra

"Could you tell me which tent is Sophia's please?"

Sophia looked out of her tent, wondering who it could be looking for her. She saw a pair of long slim legs in front of the opening of the tent.

"Oh, there you are."

She looked up into the face of the familiar young man.

"Varian, what can I do for you?"

"Tell me, are you squeamish?"

"Not really," Sophia answered confused.

"Do you have a phobia of blood, pus, wounds, that sort of thing?"

"No. I don't." She didn't like where this was going.

"Would you like to come work in the Citadel?"

"Doing what?"

"I've a young lady, Cassandra, she's recovering from a bad wound. She needs care, help with basic things; going to the toilet, getting washed, dressed, and for somebody to take care of the wounds, rebandaging them, and such."

"I haven't any experience in nursing."

"I can teach you."

She raised an eyebrow wanting to ask him exactly what experience he had in nursing, but she thought better of it.

"I've got a job working on a farm."

"I'll arrange for you to be moved."

"It'll count towards my six months?" Sophia asked, referring to the six months of public service she was required to do to gain a house in the Kingdom.

Varian nodded.

"Yes, you'll have a room at the citadel, and have meals with the rest of the staff."

Sophia looked back into her tent, she'd never seen herself working in a castle, but then, the tent wasn't exactly comfortable, it had a leak.

"Okay." She agreed.

***

The girl looked rough, pale, and sweaty, but she gave a tiny smile as a welcome when she saw Sophia.

"Cassie, this is Sophia. Sophia, this is Cassie."

"Cass." The girl corrected.

Varian walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I need to show her how to treat your leg, are you okay with this?"

The woman nodded. Sophia stepped forwards and watched him unbandage the leg, she managed not to gag, but only just. The young woman was definitely in need of help, and female help at that, it must be awkward to have such a good-looking young man acting as your nurse, seeing you partly naked. She wondered what the woman was to Varian. Not that it really mattered, she'd agreed to do the job, she guessed she didn't need their whole life stories.

She helped apply thick metallic smelling cream to the woman's wound and rewrap the bandages. The woman's skin looking even paler when in contrast with her brown hands. Varian talked softly to her, telling her when to wrap the bandages more tightly, how to tie them, which medicines she could mix up for her charge at what times of the day. Then she was alone, with the woman, she gave her a chirpy smile. She knew how to act as if everything was alright, fake it till you make it, pretend you like men even when they're foul-smelling and ugly.

"So, Miss, you Varian's girl?"  
She gave a gruff laugh.

"No, he's just a friend."  
"Well, must be a good friend."  
"I'm embarrassed to say this but, I really need the toilet, and I can't put any weight on my leg."  
"Say no more, I've got you."  
"Thank you."


	3. Edmund

Cassandra had been in a foul mood that day, fed up with being inside, she was being argumentative and was being difficult when Sophia was changing her bandages. Still in the weeks Sophia had been looking after the younger woman she had grown quite fond of her. 

She saw King Edmund standing in the corridor, for a moment she wondered if she could escape in the opposite direction, she had managed to avoid coming across any royals so far. He was wide-shouldered, and unlike many men his age he had not let himself go and was still trim, he had a short beard and a frown in HS face. She looked for the nearest corridor to duck down but the King turned and spotted her. She felt a little less intimidated when she noticed that he had kind eyes and he gave a small smile in greeting. 

"Ah, another new face. One of Rapunzel's maids?

"No, your majesty, I am looking after the lady Cassandra."

"Ah, yes, Varian said he had hired somebody. It started with an S, saffron?"

"Sophia, your majesty."

"And how is the patient Sophia?"

"Healing well, but in a foul mood. "

He chuckled. "Well, I don't envy you then."

She suddenly remembered that she was supposed to curtsy, she tried her best but was a little rusty.

"You know Sophia, I can tell a lot by looking into a woman's eyes. I can tell that you would be honest with me. Tell me, you've been out in the city for a while. Do the people like me?"

"I can't speak for everybody, but I believe most do Sir."

" They don't see me as a doddering old fool?"

She was taken aback by the worry in his voice. She suddenly realized, she like this man. He was not what she had expected him to be, he wasn't afraid to show a little vulnerability 

"I doubt anybody could see you as that your majesty. I certainly don't."

"But, they know that I am, well, insane?"

She hesitated.

"I've heard talk that you are a little peculiar, but it's usually uttered in the same breath as a compliment, like 'he's setting up some trade agreement, giving us lots of work and economic security, whatever that means, despite his err... Peculiarities."

"Peculiar..." The man tried it in his tongue. "That's much politer than how my son puts it."

"How does your son put it?"

"Bat shit crazy."

She laughed despite herself.

" But he always says it with fondness."

It would be easy to be fond of this man.

"I should let you go, thank you for reassuring me. I shall see you around the Castle I presume "

"I imagine so. Good day your majesty."

As she walked off she heard him speak again.

"A very fine woman, very fine indeed."

She turned to him

"Your majesty?"

"Huh? Did I... Did I say something?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so." She said with a smirk. Everybody knew of his habit of saying what he was thinking out loud. She smiled to herself. A fine woman, that was a fine compliment from a king, especially one who was fairly fine himself.


	4. Trade

"Good morning Sophia!"

Sophia turned and saw King Edmund. He was dressed far more casually than when she had last seen him, just in black trousers and a rough white shirt open a few inches from the top but with a leather thong strung between it to keep the fabric closed.

She curtsied.

"Your Majesty."

"Is your patient in a better mood now that she's up and about?"

"Much, she won't need me for much longer "

"Oh, and what will you do after this?"

"Back to the farm, I guess."

"You'll come and say goodbye before you leave."

"If you wish."

"Walk with me for a minute," Edmund said. He walked out into the gardens, Sophia followed.

"What do you see?" He asked looking across the gully surrounding the citadel.

Sophia looked.

"The woods." 

"At the moment, the wood of these trees is our biggest trade. Do you see the problem with that?"

"Eventually, they'll be no trees left. Unless we grow more."

"Growing the trees takes time, we need something else to trade."

"What?"

"That's what I need to figure out, how do we make our resources more desirable, worth more, how do we make them more sustainable."

"I don't know what sustainable means, but to make things more desirable you dress them up, and to make things worth more you add a skill that people don't have. Maybe carve the wood."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Carve the wood. Yes, we can carve the wood, but skills? We trade with skills?"

"I always say, you use what you have."

He looked across the gap.

"Fighters, builders, we have skills. Genius, we the brotherhood, open up a training camp to train armies and guards for other kingdoms. Sophia, you're a clever woman."

"But I didn't really say anything."

He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"But you did Sophia, you did." 

"If you're training them how do you make sure that they don't become stronger than them?"

He laughed.

"You just make sure that you don't teach them everything. We can also make armor, we have the recipes to make the strongest armor in our vaults. I should go search the libraries, we used to have so much knowledge here, something has got to be useful."  
  


The king rushed off leaving Sophia watching after him wondering what had just happened.


	5. Handsome

Sophia had helped Cassandra get dressed, a beautiful red dress, one that belonged to the Princess and was possibly the most beautiful thing Sophia had ever touched, not that Cassandra had seemed that taken with it. Varian had shown up, and when he had seen Cassandra in that dress, well, she wished that a man would look at her like that, just once.

She was missing male attention; she had lived in the city for two months now and had been traveling for a month before then. She only had Angela here, she was missing her regular customers, missing talking to them, there were a couple of men that she had felt a lot of affection for, they had been kind to her, and in her line of work that had meant a lot. Some men, well, some men had been the opposite of kind. She would never go back; she had got out.

She had been thinking of the King, impossible thoughts, thoughts where she meant something to him. She shook her head at even entertaining such a thing, she shouldn't see him like that, he was a king, and he was a man who had been alone for a long time, he needed some kindness, a little human contact... but not from her. She couldn't be that to him.

She hadn't been seeking him out, after all, she had no reason to seek him out. She had merely been in the vicinity of the royal bedrooms because she felt it was time she understood her way around the castle.

He was stood in the corridor looking at a large painting, he smiled warmly as she approached.

"Sophia!"

"Your majesty."

He waved her over.

"What are you looking at?" She asked although she was very aware that the picture in front of her was a portrait of Edmund and his Queen, they looked young, barely passed their teens.

"This is the picture where I most resemble my son, don't you think?

"I've only seen him in passing, but yes."

"He's a handsome boy like I was."

"He'll be lucky if he's as handsome as you when he reaches his prime."

King Edmund looked slightly taken aback and Sophia cursed herself, she'd said too much,

but Edmund turned back to the picture.

"They'll be grandchildren soon I think. It'll be good to see them grow up. I missed so much."

Sophia didn't know how to answer.

"Do you have children Sophia?"

"No."

"Any regrets?"

"No, I've seen enough of the world to want to bring a child into it."

"That's why we're trying to change it, for the next generation, there used to be a dark power

in this Kingdom, it used to destroy everything good, but now it's gone, and we can build whatever we wish in its place."

"So, what are you going to build?"

"A place where everybody is welcome."

"That sounds nice."

Edmund gave her a smile.

"I'm sorry, I have a dinner I have to attend."

"Yes, of course," Sophia answered. She knew about the welcome meal for Cassandra's

father, she'd just helped her get ready after all.

"Next time, we might get to speak for longer." He said gently as he walked past her. "I hope we get to speak for longer."


	6. Don't go

She hesitated before knocking on the door, she'd never been in his space before, she'd always just seen him around. He'd asked her to come, admittedly a few weeks ago, so he may have forgotten. She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in."

Sophia entered Edmund's office. He was sat at his desk. As he had every time that he'd seen her he smiled widely.

"Sophia, how good to see you."

"I was just coming to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Are you going somewhere?"

"Back to the camp. Miss Cassandra doesn't need me anymore."

"No. I mean, do you really want to leave? If you wanted to stay, I'm sure we could find a place for you."

"I like it here, but, I'm okay with going back."

"Well if you like it here we will find you another place. Perhaps Rapunzel needs another maid?"

"I can't be a maid to a Princess." Not with her past, was Edmund completely oblivious to who she was, or did he simply not care?

"Well, we will find a way for you to stay. I don't want you to leave."

"Why?"

"This castle has been a dark and gloomy place for me, isolating. Even now, with my family here, I feel those years of loneliness in the walls. Knowing that you are here, somewhere within those walls, it brightens everything up a bit."

"Your majesty."

"Edmund."

"Edmund, you don't know me."

"Sometimes you can know a person immediately, something in you recognizes something in them."

They were disturbed by a knock on the door. Prince Eugene walked in, he looked between them for a second.

"I've got a reply from King Trevor. It's not particularly polite."

"Okay." Edmund sighed. "Sophia, we will talk later, please, go to the kitchens and tell Madame De Stirr that I sent you and if she has a problem with it she can talk to me."

Sophia curtsied.

"Yes, your Majesty."

As she left she felt confused. The King, Edmund, he did seem to like her, and she certainly liked him, he was kind. She didn't know what that meant for her though, or if it would turn into anything. Still, for now, she was going to work in the kitchens, and she was more than happy with that arrangement. She liked kitchens, the hustle, and bustle and smells. Maybe it would become a permanent arrangement, she'd like that.


	7. Figgy Pudding

It was Sophia’s day off and she had visited her friend Angelica in the town. The woman was a few months away from giving birth and Sophia wanted to make the baby an outfit so she stopped by the haberdashery. It was unfortunately closed but in the window was a beautiful emerald dress. She stopped for a moment to admire it - she'd never be able to afford that color or fabric, but she might be able to make something with a similar shape so she spent a few minutes making a mental note of how it was all put together.   
"It would look beautiful on you.”   
She jumped at the familiar voice and turned to see the King stood behind her.   
“Your majesty.”   
“Edmund.”   
“I didn't expect to see you here.”   
“I always thought jewel tones suited mahogany skin the best, don't you agree?”   
“Well, I've never really worn them - maybe some bright red, but yes, I suppose you're right.”   
“Tell me, do you like Figgy pudding?”   
“It's my favorite.”   
He gave a wide smile.   
“The bakery here does the best figgy pudding, would you care to accompany me?”   
Sophia was a little thrown by seeing the King out and about in the town, but she liked talking with him, and you shouldn’t turn down a request from a king in his own kingdom.   
She took his proffered arm and they walked companionably down the streets, Sophia ignoring the puzzled and scandalous looks, Edmund oblivious to them.   
When they reached the bakery it became obvious the king was a semi-regular visitor as he was quickly shown to the best table by the window and the smiling waitress just asked 'cream or custard?’   
Edmund looked over at Sophia   
“Which is your favorite, my dear?”   
“With cream, and perhaps a chamomile tea.”   
“Perfect, two of those please.”   
When they were alone Sophia started to feel a little nervous, here she was, a woman who a few months previously entertained men for money, sat with a king, in a bakery, trying to think of something to talk about. As she’d told Varian, it was not her talk that men tended to value her for.   
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”   
Edmund said fidgeting, it obviously wasn’t only her who was unsure of what they were doing here.   
“Yes, do you come into town a lot?”   
“Once a week, to check on how the construction is coming along, and to stop by here for the figgy pudding.” He lowered his voice and said in a conspiratory tone, “I think it had a little nutmeg, that's why it's better than mine.”   
“You cook?” Sophia asked surprised, after all, she worked in the kitchens now, so she knew that the Royals had all their meals prepared for them, she was the one who helped prepare them.   
“I was alone for a quarter of a century, I had to learn to cook. I believe I got rather good at it. Do you cook?“   
“I work in the kitchens.”   
“Oh, of course.”   
“But I do enjoy it. I used to cook all the time back... Back where I used to live.”   
“What would you make?”   
“Spicy chicken. When I could afford the spices.”   
“Hmm, that does sound good. I would like to try it sometime.”   
“Maybe I'll persuade the cook to let me make it for you.”   
“Hmm. Or we can eat alone together, like this?” Edmund suggested as their teas and puddings arrived.   
Sophia found herself blushing, she chastised herself for it, she wasn’t a novice at this, she wasn’t a child, she should be able to handle a little male attention, but there was something different about Edmund's attention. It was not as obviously carnal as she was used to. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her.   
“I guess we could.”   
“Brilliant,” Edmund said sounding delighted. “I will cook for you first, it’s only fair, you spend all day cooking after all. I will come up with something tasty, perhaps some Venison.”   
“I would like that.”   
Edmund went quiet, seemingly planning.   
“I am fairly busy this coming week, but on Wednesday we are having a party for Cassandra. Will you be there? As my guest?   
Sophia hesitated again, a party with the royals may have sounded nice, but she would be uncomfortable, they had manners and knew the proper way to dance and use tiny forks, and they would be dressed in finery. She would stand out like a sore thumb. Edmund would truly see then what an unlikely pair they were, yet, he looked so hopeful. He really did want her there.   
“Okay.”   
  
On Wednesday Sophia had been begrudgingly given the afternoon off. The young girls in the kitchen gossiped loudly about her, how she was using her whore's talents to gain favor from the king. She didn’t care, she was used to other women looking down their noses at her. She had talked to Cassandra’s father and had volunteered to help the young woman get ready for her surprise party, it would distract her from her nerves, besides, she liked Cassandra.   
As Cassandra was in Varian’s shower Sophia went to her room in the servant's quarters to get dressed. She put on her best dress, she'd been sewing every spare minute she had trying to make it look a little less threadbare, she added lace to the top, a ribbon around the middle. She knew she would still stand out like a sore thumb amongst the other woman, but it was the best she could do.   
There was a knock at the door, a sour-faced maid she didn’t know was stood there.   
“From his majesty.” She said.   
In her arms was the beautiful emerald satin dress from the haberdashery. 


	8. Party

The hall was like nothing she'd ever seen before, the lights were dancing. The table was laid with a buffet of cooked meats, fresh bread, salads, savory pastries, and desserts in bowls topped with intricate patterns of chocolate and sugared fruits.

She immediately found Edmund in the small crowd, he was the tallest after all. He was stood with the other members of the brotherhood, who she found a little strange and intimidating, so she contented herself with looking at him from a distance. He cut a fine figure, his firm body clad in a tight dark green waistcoat with a high collar and a line of ornate golden buckles. She felt her breath catch in her throat when he turned towards her. He'd had his hair cut to shoulder length, and his beard trimmed down close to his skin. A part of her dared to hope that the grooming and the matching waistcoat had been done to impress her, but why would a king feel the need to impress anybody like her?

His eyes met hers across the room. She saw them widen and sweep down her body, there, that was a gaze she knew, lust, she was on familiar ground now.

After a few moments, he walked over to join her.

"Sophia, I am glad you came."

"Thank you for the dress."

"I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to see you in it. Will you dance with me later?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

The woman with the face tattoo and long white hair came over to them.

"You should sing."

"Oh no, I don't sing anymore," Edmund answered.

"Not buying it," Adira said walking off.

"Now, a dance. Let's have a song!" Edmund shouted across the room at the band.

He smiled at Sophia, his hand held out ready for a dance.

"Papa Edmund, dance with me." Princess Rapunzel grabbed his hand. Edmund shot Sophia an apologetic look, Sophia shrugged and smiled to let him know it was alright.

She watched as Edmund danced with his daughter-in-law, and went to sit at the table for a drink.

She was content just watching the party going on around her, until, a few songs in she was surprised to see Edmund stand up next to the band.

His voice was warm and rich, it was a voice she could listen to for hours. The song was soft, romantic, it was about all the things a woman could be to a man, heaven or hell. She watched breathlessly until a sudden realization struck her heart, she knew who the song was for. It was a love song for his wife. The wife he still loved.

It hurt more than she would have expected. She couldn't listen to that golden voice anymore, not when it was filled with such longing for somebody else.

She felt her eyes start to itch, her vision turned blurry. Oh no, she was not going to cry, at least not in front of all these people. She got up and went outside, ducking behind some bushes to sit on a log, she took a few deep breaths trying to stop the sob that escaped her lips.

"Sophia?”

She jumped and quickly dried her eyes as Varian came around the corner. She tried to think of something, anything to talk about except her and Edmund. Before running out she'd seen Varian dancing with Cassandra, which seemed like a good way to distract the young man.

“You looked good in there.”

“Are you okay?”

“Just realizing that I’m competing with a dead woman. It doesn't matter Varian, my life here is good, I have no reason to be upset.”

It was true, her life was much better than it had been at the brothel, and it was all because Varian had brought her here. She didn't want him to think that just because she was upset now, that that wasn't true.

“I’m glad to hear that, but, do you mean Edmund?”

Oh, she thought, was it that obvious?

She squeezed Varian's shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, concentrate on your own heart.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Oh, Hunny, yes.”

Sophia hadn't need to see them dancing to know that Varian was in love with Cassandra, she had known that since the first time she had seen him care for her.

Varian sighed.

“What is it?”

“Well, if it’s that obvious to everybody else, it must be obvious to her, and if it’s obvious to her and she keeps pushing away from me then… well, I’ve got my answer.”

He sounded heartbroken, and for a moment Sophia felt very connected to him, after all, they were feeling the same thing. She sighed, her problem was the man she had feelings for was in love with someone else, Varian problem was that the woman he loved, didn't want to love anybody. That made Cassandra the clever one, she knew love can hurt you.

“I think that something more complicated is happening in that girl's head. She’s a hard one to get a read on.”

“Yes, she is.”

“Sophia?” King Edmund's voice echoed around the gardens.

Sophia waved Varian away. She was a grown woman, and it was time to face the music.

“Give me a minute alone with him?”

“Of course,” Varian said, he walked away, passing Edmund as he did so.

"Are you quite alright my dear?"

His voice was gentle, this man, he didn't mean to hurt her. It was just the circumstances they were both in, nobodies fault.

"I'm grateful to you, for securing me a job here, for being kind to me, but I know better than to compete with a dead woman. Memories become fonder over time, you forget the bad bits, she's become perfect in your eyes, it's impossible to compete."

Edmund looked shocked for a moment, he took a step backward, and his brow furrowed. Then he gave a sigh and took her hand.

" Sophia, listen to me. I don't expect you to compete with Helena. Nobody could ever replace her, but perhaps, it's possible, after all this time, I could love another woman just as much. Not because she reminds me of my wife, but because she has her own merits, because she has a good heart, and quick mind, and is beautiful."

She was taken aback, he was talking in terms of love, she'd never had that. Her heart was thudding so loudly, and there were butterflies in her stomach. Hope, she thought to her, she was feeling hopeful. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say, it was all happening so quickly.

"I am sorry that my song upset you. My son did not know his mother, he always wants to know as much about her as he can. I sang that song for him, and for myself, I have not sung since the day she died. I wished to say goodbye to her, say goodbye to the part of me that has mourned all these years, because I need to make room, for a new part, hope. I am making little sense."

"I think I understand."

"Will you dance with me? You promised me a dance."

"Shall we go inside?" She asked.

"No, I like being alone with you." He stepped forwards and took her by the waist, pulling her close.

"I can't hear the music out here."

"Luckily, I can sing," Edmund said with a smile.

He leaned in close and started singing softly in her ear as he led her in a simple dance around the gardens.

_"Someday, when I'm awfully low_

_When the world is cold_

_I will feel a glow just thinking of you_

_And the way you look tonight_

_You're lovely, with your smile so warm_

_And your cheeks so soft_

_There is nothing for me but to love you_

_And the way you look tonight."_

At that moment, with Edmunds's large dark eyes staring down at her, his gentle hands holding her, his firm body around her, his honeyed voice singing words just for her, Sophia had no choice but to fall in love with him too.

_"With each word your tenderness grows_

_Tearing my fears apart_

_And that laugh that wrinkles your nose_

_Touches my foolish heart_

_Lovely, never, ever change_

_Keep that breathless charm_

_Won't you please arrange it?_

_'Cause I love you_

_Just the way you look tonight"_

He kissed her, not with the confidence of a king, but with the shyness of a widow

P.S. Song is 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra.


	9. In the bedroom of the King

I’ve let this one fall behind a little bit, so this is occurring during the Mother chapter of Redemption Citadel.

***

“Sophia!”

Sophia turned to see the young alchemist Varian rush towards her.

“You look nice.” He said quickly.

“I’m going to meet Edmund.”

“Oh, oh.” Varian said, his expression unreadable.

“It’s not like that, yet, but I maybe.”

“It’s not really my business.”  
  


“Are you disappointed in me Varian? You brought me here to lead a better lifestyle and I just fall back into old habits.”  
  


Varian shook his head and reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

“I brought you here so you would have more choices, not to make them for you. It’s not my place to judge you.”

She smiled.

“Did you want something?” She asked him.

“Oh, yeah.” He blushed slightly. “I just wanted to get your opinion on my hair.”  
  


“Your hair?”  


“Yeah, do you think I should get it cut short? Shave it close.” He asked.

“Why do you ask? Is the length starting to bother you?”

“No, I just wondered if it would be more, um, attractive shorter.”

She laughed at his obviousness.

“You know, some women like to run their fingers through a man’s hair.”  
  


“Really?”  
  


She nodded.

“She did touch… I mean, thanks Sophia. I’ll let you get back to your uh… date?”  
  


“See you around Varian.”

She knocked on the door to Edmund’s bedroom. She took a deep breath; she didn’t know where the night was going to go.

“Sophia.” Edmund said delighted as he opened the door to her. He stood aside to let her in. It was the first time that she had seen his room, she hadn’t expected it to be mor of a large apartment than a bedroom, and it made her feel slightly more comfortable. She hadn’t been sure if she was ready to go there tonight. She saw that a table for two had been laid out, the room lit with candles, it was a soft and intimate setting.

“I made roast beef and potatoes. A little heavy for a hot day I know, but I know you work hard and thought you might want something filling.”

“Roast beef sounds perfect, thank you.”

Sophia smiled as Edmund pulled a chair out for her, as if she were a lady, she couldn’t remember anybody having ever done that for her.

They talked and laughed easily, their difference in status barely noticeable when they talked so free and easily. Edmund was hanging on her every word as she talked about childhood growing up with her Grandmother, days running around with other children in the village, climbing trees and stealing apples from the local farms.

Edmund’s childhood sounded lonely and restrictive in comparison, the only son, who needed to at once be protected to keep the line of Dark King’s, and yet, who needed to spend hours of the day learning their history and training with weaponry. His friends, the brotherhood, had not entered his life until his teenage years. He told her about how he had lost his father young, inheriting the throne at just fourteen, and happier times, when he had helped Hector trap and train a rhino.

Hours passed without any effort, the roast beef and following figgy pudding eaten, they ended up on the window seat looking out into the night, sipping spiced wines.

“I think it’s time.” Edmund said as he looked out over the ravine.

“Time for what.”  
  


“Oh, uh.. I did it again didn’t I?  
  


She rested her hand on his arm.

“It’s okay.”

He took a deep breath.

“Sophia, I realize that we have not known each other for long, but I have always believed in trusting my instincts, and to be clear, I am besotted with you.”  
  


There was that feeling in her chest again, that tingly anticipation, besotted, yes she was besotted with the man, his intelligence, his kindness, his way of being easy with her despite his years of being driven insane by isolation. She felt she knew where this conversation was going, and although it had been many, many years since she had been with a man who wasn’t a client she was ready for this. She was making love to a King tonight. Feeling emboldened by his words she went and sat on his lap, his eyes widened slightly, but he reached for her, resting his hands on her hips.

“Sophia, my darling.” His hands were reaching for something inside his jacket. He pulled out a small box. “Will you marry me.”  
  


If he hadn’t have caught her she would have fallen to the floor. She stared at him and the box unable to even form a full thought. This was not what she had been expecting/

“Edmund.” She finally managed to say. “I was a whore.”

“I’m aware.”

“I can’t marry you.”

He actually looked disappointed. He looked away from her.

“May, I ask why?”  
  


“If you marry a whore, the whole world will laugh at you. I couldn't bare seeing that.”

“I do not consider you a whore, all that come here are given a clean slate Sophia, and the whole world laughs at me anyways. I think I went insane a few years back you see, never quite got over it.”

She smiled fondly.

“Insane enough to think you can change the world.”

He smiled at that.

“Insane enough to think of marrying a woman like me.”

“Just the right amount of insane then. Sophia do not feel that you need to save my feelings, I can understand why a woman like you, still in her prime, and so beautiful, would have her choice of suitors. You have shown me kindness, and if I have mistaken it for more than that, then I cannot blame you.”  
  


She almost snorted at the idea that she could have more suitors, she wasn’t a young woman, she was in her mid-forties and honestly she hadn’t ever expected to get married. Truly, she had never considered that Edmund would have marriage on his mind, she wasn’t a Lady, she wasn’t anywhere close. She took his sad face in her hands.

“Of course I love you, you old fool. How could I not.” She kissed him gently, and he sighed happily into her lips. She pulled away and talked seriously too him.

“You don't have to marry me to bed me. Needless to say, I'm fine with it.”

“I don't want just a woman in my bed, I want a woman by my side. Somebody to talk to, somebody to rule besides me.”

“I can be two of those things, as your concubine.”

“No Sophia.” He said gently pushing her off of him. “I want you as my wife, nothing more, and nothing less. It’s late, perhaps you should go and rest. My proposal has no time limits, so take all the time you need, but please consider it.”

She sighed.

“I will.” She promised, and she would, but it wouldn’t change anything.


	10. Angelica

Sophia held onto the infant, her eyes running over him as he cried, he was alive, she didn’t understand how, but he was.

She desperately watched the young man in front of her, she watched as he worked frenziedly. She could see that he was fighting a loosing tide, she could see the desperation in his eyes, she could feel it herself, drowning, blood was dripping onto the floor, his hands were inside her friend, that dreadful rip in her flesh. She could do nothing but stare in horror, trembling, shaking, watching her friend’s pales skin, watching her bare chest rise and fall shallowly. Until it stopped, and all she could do was drown in the shock, Angelica was dead, her friend was dead. She heard the frustrated scream from the man who had tried to save her, watched him fall to his knees. She felt cold, she took a few trembling steps towards Angelica. She ran her hands over the warm face, eyes closed, lips lightly parted as if she were merely sleeping. Sophia brushed the hair from her face and bent to kiss her forehead.

***

“Sophia.”

Sophia had been standing in the corridor, staring at the now sleeping baby. Somebody had brought them back here, the journey in the night silent, moving without feeling, without noticing, holding the small warm child to her chest. She should love him, as the son of the woman she had loved so dearly, but she couldn’t feel anything for him, she couldn’t feel anything at all. She looked up to see Edmund’s concerned eyes.

“Sophia.” He pulled her to him, she sunk into his large frame. “What happened my love?”

Sophia couldn’t find the words. She looked up at him, they heard an explosion coming from down in the lab. Edmund’s eyebrows furrowed. “Forgive me, I need to sort this.”

At some point there was the girl Cassandra in front of her, and she handed over the baby. She’d promised her he would be loved, and that’s all that she wanted for Angelica’s child, to be loved and cared for, a better life for Angelica’s child than his mother had lived, also an orphan.

Then hands were taking her arm and she looked up to see Edmund leading her away. She found herself in his room, and hot tea was put in her hands, warming her. He sat in front of her, his hands resting on her knees, helping Sophia become tethered to the world again in the first time in hours. She looked up and saw the fire in the fireplace through the blur of tears.

“She was my friend.” She whispered. “I came here with her; I came here to look after her.”

Edmund didn’t answer, he just let her talk. Words that she’d never remember, words of sadness and regret, memories of happy moments, all of her hopes for that child who was now motherless. When she had done talking, done crying, he picked her up and laid her on his bed. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

She didn’t know the last time she had been held like this, just held because it was the only comfort a person could offer. To have a man wrapped around her in a way that wasn’t sexual, that had no other motives other than to simply hold her. Probably never.

“Sophia, my love. What do you need?”

“This. Just this.”


	11. A Walk With The Brotherhood

A walk with the brotherhood.

Sophia looked down at Edmund’s hand, linked with hers as they walked through the forest, mahogany skin against pale white, if only that was their only contrast. Edmund’s proposal still hung in the air between them. They hadn’t mentioned it again, though they had been seeing each other almost every day. She loved him, she wanted to be with him, but she couldn’t be his Queen.

“Have you seen baby Quirin lately.” Edmund asked conversationally.  
  


“He’s doing well.” Sophia said.

Edmund nodded. “You know even though the Captain adopted him, I will take an interest in his education and future.”  
  


“Thank you Edmund and thank you for asking me what I thought ought to be done with him.”  
  


“You would know what his mother wanted best. We should take some flowers on the garden to plant on the grave.”

Sophia gave a short nod, she didn’t want to talk about this, it still hurt too much.

“Edmund.” They heard a call from above, Sophia glanced up and saw the woman Adira sat in a tree. She grabbed the branch and swung down onto the floor in front of them.

“Sister. “Edmund answered. Sophia always felt slightly nervous around the warrior woman, she was hard to get a proper grasp on, and the way that she was looking Sophia up and down now as if she was accessing her didn’t help.

“Do you fight?” Adira asked staring at her.

“If I need to.”

“What weapon?”  
  


“Uh.. I’ve knocked men out with candlesticks on a fair few occasion.”  
  


“Arms up.”

“What?”  
  


“Put your arms up.”

Sophia looked over at Edmund who simply shrugged. So she lifted her arms and watched wearily as Adira walked around her.

“She’d make a good archer, strong arms muscles, small chested.”  
  


“Hey!”

“Her chest is fine Adira.”  
  


“Of course it is, I wasn’t saying any different.” Adira turned to her. “What do you think of archery?”  
  


“I ‘ve never considered it.”  
  


“I’ll teach you.”

“O…okay.” Sophia said. After all, Edmund called Adira sister, he saw her as family, and if she was really in a relationship with him, which her heart told her she was, even if her head refused to believe it yet, then she couldn’t refuse one of his family members trying to spend time with her. Even if it did make her nervous.

“Good.” Adira said. “I’m going now. Enjoy your walk.”  
  


“Good day sister.”  
  


Sophia watched her walk away.

“What did I just agree to?”  
  


“To being trained in archery. Though really I think we should teach you to ride first.”  
  


“Wait, is this because... does Adira know you proposed to me?”  
  


“Probably.” Edmund answered. “She has a knack of hearing conversations that weren’t meant for her to hear.”  
  


“How did she end up in the brotherhood? You’ve told me lots of stories about them, but never how you came to be together?”  
  


“Quirin was raised to be in the brotherhood, as his father was in my father’s brotherhood. There has been a brotherhood for as long as there has been a dark kingdom, and I believe Quirin’s ancestors have been in the brotherhood since day one. Hector came to us when he was older, about sixteen. He was the second son of a king, and though he was well trained, he was never fully appreciated because he’s a bit on the small side. His older brother was much more well... big. He did something, I won’t discuss what, and he got disowned.”  
  


“And Adira?”  


Edmund sighed, his eyes closed for a moment as if he was somewhere else, in another time and place.

“I was out for a ride with my father. It was a few months before he died so I was fourteen at the time, and we came across two corpses, men who had had their throat slit whilst they were asleep. We had guards, while they started a search to see if the killer was still around my father and I went to wait in an abandoned barn we had seen. The idea being to keep me safe. Whilst waiting in that barn I became aware of a shuffling noise in the back, and I went to explore expecting to find a racoon, and instead I found this white-haired little girl, only nine or ten years old. My father wanted to just leave her there, but I argued with him and we took her back to the Citadel.” He gave a little chuckle. “She bit me when I tried to lift her onto my horse.” He said as he lifted his hand up, and showed the crescent scar she’d seen before. “She still dousn’t like to be touched.”

“How did she get there?”  
  


“I do not know, but I imagine she was kidnapped, as when I found her, her ankles were still tied, though it looked like she’d chewed through the ropes on her wrists. We tried to find out where she was from, but she didn’t say a single word for the first year she was with us. She used to just follow Quirin around. She was completely obsessed with him. She used to watch him training, and then she would copy his moves. Eventually we gave her a training sword and the rest was history. Fastest learner I ever saw. We had to be very careful when training with her tough, because she’d go nuts if anybody touched her, she’s better with it’s now, but it’s best to keep your distance.”  
  


“Hasn’t she ever had anybody then?”  
  


“Anybody?”  
  


“Romantic?”  
  


“Not that I know of. All of us, Quirin, Hector and myself, fancied ourselves in love with her at one time or another, nothing ever came out of it. I imagine that eventually something would have happened between her and Quirin, if he hadn’t have met Varity. There was a big age difference between them you see, if they’re hadn’t had been then maybe… you know that was her first word, when she started talking again. Quirin.”  
  


“And those men, when you first found her. Doid she escape from the one who killed them, or was it her? I mean she was only a child.”  
  


“I suspect it was her, but I never asked.”  
  


“You never asked?”  
  


“My relationship with Adira is based on never asking questions.”

“I think I understand.” Sophia answered, and she did, if the woman didn’t want to answer where she came from, or what had happened for her to end up in that barn, then there must have been a special kind of trust formed with those who accepted that they would never have those questions answered, and so simply didn’t ask.   
  


Edmund smiled down at him.

“She makes you nervous dousn’t she?”

“Yes,” Sophia admitted, “but I’m actually quite happy she wants to spend time with me. She’s your family, right?”  
  


“She is.” Edmund turned and took her hands in his. “My family is a little unusual, but they will accept you easily.”

“Do you think?”  
  


“Yes.” He leaned down to kiss her lips, and she closed her eyes in waiting, but the kiss never came.

“What the…” Edmund said.

Sophia opened her eyes and looked up at Edmund’s shocked face, she turned and saw what he was looking at, for a moment she couldn’t figure out what she was seeing, above the trees was an animal head, angular and yellow, with a long dark tongue drawing the leaves into its mouth.

They saw Hector walk onto the path behind them holding a rope. His eyes widened when he saw Edmund.

"Hector, what is that?" Edmund asked.

"Is that a giraffe?" Sophia asked at the same time.

"I thought we agreed that the Rhino was the last exotic pet?"

"I need him." Hector answered.

"What for?" Edmund said with a frown.

"To reach high things."

"What about a ladder?"

"I didn't think of a ladder." 

“Hector!”


	12. For Pete's Sake

For Pete’s Sake

Sophia was having breakfast in the staff kitchen, she looked up, the girl Faith was sniffling again. She’d been getting to know the girl, she had found her crying in the corridor a few weeks previously. She’d taken the young girl into her room, not knowing who she was. She’d soon found out that she was an ex-girlfriend of Varian, and that they had an argument. Sophia had looked at the girls wrists, with their light red marks on them and sighed. After calming down the girl she’d gone and shouted at Varian.

_“YOU!” She said as she walked into his lab. “Where do you get off on pushing your ex?”  
  
_

_“I..” Varian looked up at her his face automatically grew red. “She tripped, I didn’t mean to hurt her.”  
  
_

_“Well, you did!”  
  
_

_“I know, and I’m sorry, I‘ll go apologise to her.”  
  
_

_“It is never alright! Never alright, for a man to be rough with a woman.”  
  
_

_“I know. I do know, I just, I lost my temper.”  
  
_

_She looked down at the young man, saw the shame on his face._

_“Why did you lose your temper?” She said calming down slightly, seeing that the young man felt terrible. She reminded herself that she knew Varian, and although he was a passionate young man, he was not an aggressive one._

_  
“I don’t want to say, it would embarrass Faith.”  
  
_

_“Did she lose her temper with you too?”  
  
_

_“No.”  
  
_

_Sophia took a deep breathe._

_“Varian? I’ve always trusted you, and I’ve always looked up to you, but we’re all human.”  
  
_

_“You won’t tell anybody?”  
  
_

_“No. I won’t.”  
  
_

_“She couldn’t accept that I didn’t have any interest in her anymore, and so she tried to seduce me.”  
_

_Sophia nodded._

_“And, when she touched me, below the belt, I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have done. “  
  
_

_“Well… she shouldn’t have touched you without your consent. I guess you were both in the wrong. Still dousn’t excuse it.”_

_  
“I am going to apologise to her, I just want things to calm down a bit first. I promise, I never meant to hurt her.”_

_“I know.” Sophia said with a sigh. “And don’t apologise yet..”  
  
_

_“Wait what?”_

_“That girls a bit obsessed with you. Apologize too soon, and she’ll think that the door is still open.”_

She was about to ask Faith how she was doing when she noticed something, there was a Corona guard sat down the table, and he kept glancing up at Faith. He was struggling to keep his eyes off of her, Faith however didn’t seem to have a clue.

When the guard got up from the table she followed him.

“Hey.” She shouted down the corridor the man turned to look at her.

“Uh, who me?” He said pointing at his own chest.  
  


“Yes, what’s your name?”  
  


“Um, Pete?”  
  


“Hi, Pete. I noticed that you’re in love with Faith.” Sophia said deciding bluntness was for the best.  
  


“What!” Pete’s eyes widened. “How did you know? I never told anybody. I’d usually tell Stan, but he’s still in Corona. Faith and I came here in the same caravan from Corona, and we spent all our time talking, and I really like her, but I knew she was coming here for Varian, but Varian is crazy and he didn’t want her, and now she’s heartbroken, and I hugged her and listened to her, but she’s still upset.”  
  


“Hmm.. well, what if I could help?”  
  


“You think you can help?”  
  


“Yes. I think I can, but we’re going to need Varian’s help?”  
  


“But why would he help?”  
  


“Because he doesn’t want Faith mopping around the Citadel giving him injured puppy dog eyes all the time.”

“Hey!”  
  


“Come on.” Sophia said wrapping her arms around his shoulder. “Let’s come up with a plan.”  
  


***

“Varian, we need to talk about Faith.” Sophia said walking into the lab.  


Varian leaned back in his chair. “Is she alright?”  
  


“Still upset I think.”  


He nodded; his face serious.

“I never expected her to come all the way here.”  
  


“Well, no, it was a bit silly of her but she’s a bit of a silly girl. Still, I don’t think she deserves to be miserable, lots of girls are a little silly at her age, dousn’t mean they don’t have a good heart.”  
  


Varian ran a hand through his hair. 

“She does, that’s the hard bit about all this. She’s heading back in a few days, I’m sure she’ll get over it once we get a little physical distance between us.”  
“ But you can help her.”  
  


“I can?”  
  


“Do you know Pete the guard?”  
  


“Yes, what about him?”  
  


“He’s in love with Faith.”  
  


“He is?” Varian said. “Well, that’s nice for them I guess.”  
  


“It would be, if she wasn’t so blinded by you that she can’t see him.”  
  


“I don’t know how I can help with that; I’ve been as clear with her as possible.” 

“Well, it strikes me that Faith is the kind of girl that would like some kind of grand romantic gesture.”  
  


“Yes, I suppose that she is, though I was never good at that part.” Varian admitted.  
  


“Well, I was thinking, maybe you and Pete could get into a tussle over her.”  
  


“I don’t really tussle.”  
  


“Okay, I’m going to spell out for you what you’re going to do to handle this situation. Firstly, you’re going to go and talk to Pete.”

***

Sophia had one part in the plan, to make sure that Faith was in the great hall at exactly the right time. So she had invited the young girl out for breakfast in the bakery, and then suggested that they take an amble in the garden until she saw Pete giving her a thumbs up from the doorway.

“Was that rain?”  
  


“I didn’t feel anything.”  
  


“Definitely rain, let’s head in.” Sophia said.  
  


“Uh, okay.”  
  


She and Faith walked into the great hall just as Varian was crossing the hall, with Pete walking up behind him. It was as if they had no idea that Faith and Sophia had just walked in, just as they had planned it to be.

“I need to talk to you!” Pete said as he grabbed Varian’s arm and pulled him around.  
  


“I’m busy.” Varian snapped shaking his arm free.

“I heard you were rough with Faith.”  
  


“What’s it to you?”  
  


“She’s a great girl, and I think you owe her an apology.” 

“Apology? Ha! Make me.”  
  


“Okay, I will.”  


Pete dove at him, the punch was so well-rehearsed it looked almost real. Varian fell to the floor, looking shocked. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and Sophia could have giggled when she saw the smear of blood there. She knew it was fake and she was impressed with how much he was selling it. When they had been planning the little scene she’d had serious doubts that he was dramatic enough to pull it off, but apparently he was. 

She shot a look at Faith, she was holding her hand over her mouth, wide eyes, and just as Sophia had hoped her eyes were on Pete, and not on Varian. 

Pete loomed over Varian.

“Faith is an amazing person, and she deserves somebody who will love her with everything they have, and put her first.”  
  


“Oh, and you think you’re that person do you?”  
  


“Yes, I do.”  
  


Faith gasped. 

“Now apologise.” Pete shouted.

For the first time the men looked over at where the two women were stood, a look of shocked horror in their eyes, as if they hadn’t realized that they were there. As if Faith was never meant to see Pete’s declaration of love.

Varian got up and he went over to Faith. 

“Faith, I am truly sorry for how I have treated you. “He glanced over at Pete. “I guess that you’ve moved on.”  
Faith looked over at Pete.  
  


Pete?” She whispered. 

“I’m sure you’ll be very happy with each other.” Varian said storming out of the Citadel gates.

“I should go and check he’s alright.” Sophia said putting her hand on Faith’s shoulder.

“You’re very lucky to have a man who’s willing to protect you like that.” She said nodding towards Pete. “You’re the lucky one here, not Cassandra.” Sophia said, really trying to push the point home. She went out the gates, but hid next to them, wanting to know if Pete could pull off the final part. Apologizing to Faith that she’d seen that, and telling her that he meant every word he had said.

***

Sophia found Varian and Edmund sat outside in the garden enjoying the last of the summer sun.  
  


“Do you think it’s worked?” Varian asked her as she came close.  
  


“Yes, I hung around and I saw them kiss. They’ll probably be engaged by the time they get back to Corona.”  
  


Varian smiled. 

“Thank you. I’m glad Faith is going to get the guy she deserves.”  
  


“And you’ll get the girl you deserve.” Sophia said with a smile.  
  


Varian blushed. “Well, I’m not sure about that. We have a date tonight.”  
  


“Good luck Varian.”  
  


“I have to go get ready.” 

As he walked past her he kissed her on the cheek.

“Thanks, Sophia.”

“Hm.. have you been having fun, my dear?” Edmund asked her with a smirk as he indicated for her to sit next to him.  
  


“The young people needed a little help to sort out their problems.”  
  


“And did you help them?”  
  


“I think I did.”  
  


He smiled and bent to kiss her brow. 

“Problem-solving, and people managing are important skills for a Queen.”


	13. The Fire

“Fire! Fire get up!”

Sophia blinked sleepily. She looked around the dorm room and saw the other kitchen staff starting to get up. She felt foggy, she’d had a few glasses of wine with Edmund that night, and it was still in her system. People were rushing around her, she could smell smoke. Somebody was grabbing her arm and pulling at her, she looked up to see Faith.

“Get up Sophia, get your shoes on.”

Sophia’s mind became clear as she watched the rush of people heading for the door. She got up and slipped her shoes on. As she joined the crowd walking quickly out of the dorm she looked down the corridor and gasped as she saw a wall of bright flames licking at the walls, a billow of black smoke spreading over the roof, inching towards them. People started to panic and run. Sophia grabbed Faith and pushed her against the wall.  
  


“Run.” The girl said panicked.  
  


“No, people are going to trip and get hurt.”

Within half a minute the corridor had cleared, but the smoke was starting to spread, and Sophia could taste the ash on her tongue. She took Faith’s hand and they ran through the corridors and the hall until they made it outside. Turning back they could see smoke billowing out from shattered windows.

“Where’s the king?”

She looked around, Faith had already disappeared, there was a confused gathering of people, they seemed to be heading towards the gondola’s, and there, stood by the door of one of the gondola’s was Edmund, he stood shoulders above everybody else. Their eyes met, and they ran to each other, neither caring that people would see, or what people would think. He caught her up in his arms, literally sweeping her off her feet as he held her to him. He gently put her back down again and taking her by the shoulders he looked down at her with relieved eyes.

“The gondola is waiting. Go now, get to safety."

"Aren't you coming?" Sophia said suddenly realizing that he had no intention to follow her.

"I’ll take the next one. My son went back in, and I need to make sure he gets out."

“Back in, why would somebody go back into there?”  
  


“The boy Varian, his rooms are in a different part of the castle, he may not be aware of the fire.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the captain pushing his way through the crowd, Frank following closely behind him with Angelica’s baby held tightly to his shoulder.

“Has anybody seen Cassandra?”

“No.” Edmund answered. “But I’m sure..” He didn’t finish his sentence; the Captain was already running back towards the Citadel.

“John! No!” Frank shouted after him.

“It’s my daughter!”

Edmund brought Sophia close again, he kissed her fiercely. There was determination and desperation in that kiss, and as he moved to pull away Sophia just kissed him deeper. It had to end though, and Edmund jerked away as quickly as he had grabbed her.

“Go now.” He said.

“I want to stay with you.”

"No, I need you to leave. Go, go find Rapunzel and keep my grandchildren safe."

There was no good arguing, she knew him, she knew that he wouldn’t change his mind. She knew that he wouldn’t leave whilst there was still a chance that people could make it out of the citadel alive. He was their king. He was her king, and she had to just trust that he’d make the right decisions.

He closed his eyes as he turned from her, his hand dropping hers. She stared at him for a

moment scared it would be the last time she saw him, but she turned away. He was her king after all, she had to trust he would make the right decision.

She turned to Frank and reached for his hand.

“Let’s get that baby safe.”

***

They were all alive, she couldn’t quite believe it. Especially when she had seen how quickly and how hot the fire had burnt. She had wondered how Edmund felt, watching the place he had lived his whole life burning to the ground, but he’d not shown any signs of concern for himself. He had reached the other side of the ravine and hugging her briefly had started to organise medical care, food and drinks, blanket and a places for the staff of the Citadel to stay. He’d easily fallen into giving orders and solving problems, he had spent a few minutes taking to every single person assuring everybody was alright. Then in the morning, they’d brought Varian back. They had all believed him lost, but Edmund had picked up his limp and bloody body easily and run with him to where the doctor was still helping people in the clearing.

She’d stayed close to him the whole night, just watching him. By mid- morning she could feel an ache in all her limbs, she was exhausted, but Edmund showed no sign of resting anytime soon. She was stood next to him discussing how to set up an emergency kitchen to feed all the staff of the Citadel when Edmund’s personal adviser approached.

“Your majesty. We have prepared a house for you; it is not of the standard that you are used to but I’m afraid it is the best that we can do.”  
  


“Give it to somebody who’s injured. Or maybe the Captain, so he can keep his son warm.”  
  


“Your Majesty…”  
  


“I can sleep in a tent; I am assuming that we have a few of those spare.”  
  


“Yes, your Majesty. I will see what I can find.”  
  


“Will you put me near the staff members who have been dislocated? I wish to be close to my people.” Edmund said glancing at Sophia.

It was almost night fall again when they found their tents set up side by side in the camp. Sophia looked around and realised that their tents were surrounded by those of the newly formed guards. Edmund’s personal adviser obviously was keen on keeping him safe, but just as obviously was aware that there was something going on between them.

Edmund looked around at the army of tents.

“These people, they have so little and yet they have so freely given it away to us.”  
  


“They may have little, but I bet they know what it is to lose everything.”  
  


“I am proud to be their king. It takes real strength to try and start again. I hope that I can build a town worthy of them.”  
  


“You can.”

He looked at her wistfully.  
  


“I am ruling a country full of ex-prostitutes, ex-convicts and young orphans - as well, it seems those of an inverse nature, I even have a werewolf considering coming to stay for the winter. Now tell me, do you understand these people?”

“Yes I understand them, they're the type of people I've spent my whole life with.”

“You have spent your whole life with people, I have been alone for half of mine. I still struggle to connect sometimes, and I fear that I don't fully understand these people who have put their trust in me. They have good hearts, and they're all deserving of a second chance, and of a leader who is not just proud of them but who understands them. That's why I need you Sophia, because you understand, because you can be a bridge between me and the people. You think being my queen is a crazy idea, but I think it might be the best one I've ever had. And, I love you. With all that's left of this old heart I love you.”

She leaned into him wrapping her arms around him and just holding him. She'd left him the night before, and she swore to herself that it would be the last time she ever left him. Her being a Queen when less than a year before she'd been in the brothel was a crazy idea, but when he explained it to her, what he wanted from her... Well maybe his craziness was spreading, because it was starting to sound possible. 

“Come to bed with me. “She whispered.

“Sophia.” He sighed her name.

“I don't want to leave you tonight. I don't want to leave you ever.”

“Is that a yes?”

“I... “

She looked around, at the tents full of people. People who’d lived a similar life to her, for similar reasons, not through choice but because circumstances had left them with no home and no family. People who had come here because they had made the choice to try for a better life, a more honest life, even though to start afresh they had to put in hard work, and live in uncomfortable situations. People who had hope.

Then she turned back to Edmund. A man that she’d known for only a few months but could not bear the idea of ever leaving. The first man who had seen her as something more than her body, seen past her easy and sociable nature, and made her open up to him about who she really was on the inside. A man who wanted to hear what she had to say, who thought her clever and resourceful, and who made her see those things in herself as well. A man a bit broken but still strong, still gentle, still a king.

'Yes."


	14. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edmund and Sophia prepare for their wedding.

“Sophia.” A soft voice came from behind her. For a moment she kept staring into the tiny flame of the candle before her. Then a hand came to rest between her shoulder blades, and she turned to see Varian, she gave him a small smile. He looked down at the row of candles in front of her, hers was the only one lit.

“For Angelica.” She said softly.

Varian nodded and wordlessly took the tallow from her hand lighting the candle next to hers.

“Quirin is loved, and well looked after.” He said, Sophia knew he wasn’t talking to her.

She gently laid her hand on his arm comforting him. He looked up and gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“It’s not a day for mourning Sophia.”  
  


“I felt I needed to show my respects. She was the reason I came here. Well, you and her. Did you ever think when you came into that brothel that we would be here today?”  
  


“No, never, but I’m so happy that we are.” Varian said, this time the smile entering his eyes. “You look so beautiful.” He said matter of fact.

Sophia looked down at her blush coloured dress, it had a strand of gold leaves embroidered up one side, and a golden belt around the middle. It looked bridal enough, even though she’d flat out refused to wear white. It was elegant, the gold was queenly, yet it was not too grand, not too showy for the new town with half its people still living in tents, and for a woman who had worked in the kitchens. She hoped she’d got the balance right.

There was a cheer from outside of the small chapel. Sophia looked up.

“He’s here.” Varian said.

Sophia took a deep breath; she ran her hands nervously over the front of her dress. She closed her eyes, focusing on taking long steady breaths as she felt her hands trembling.

“Are you ready for this?” Varian asked.

“I don’t know, I’m scared. I’ve never been a wife.”  
  


“I thought you would be worried about the queen bit.”  
  


“No, the only reason I’m not high tailing it out of here right now is because I’m not thinking about that.”  
  


“Just think of Edmund.” Varian suggested. “You love him.”

Sophia closed her eyes and imagined her fiancé, his soft loving eyes, he’s small understanding smiles, the feel of his large warm hands as it would rest on the small of her back. It calmed her, made her feel mor confident. With him by her side she would be okay. The anxiety started to pass, and she actually began to feel excited.

There was another loud cheer from outside the chapel, voices rising and shouting.

“Long live Queen Sophia.”

Varian stepped forwards; his arm crooked.

“That’s your cue.”

Sophia slipped her arm through his.

"Thanks for giving me away Kid.”

Varian groaned.

“Don’t call me kid.” He said still smiling. “And no problem.”

“I'm twice your age, I get to call you kid.”

“Come on, he’s waiting for you.”

***

“I got this."

Eugene was holding his fathers suit jacket out for him.

Edmund stepped into it. He watched as his son walked around him looking him up and down, and then reaching to straighten his tie.

"How are you feeling?” He asked.

"Nervous. “Edmund confessed. “It has been a long time since I did this."

"Since you married mum? Yep, long time."

"No, since I was with a woman."

Eugene paused, looking him in the eye.

"Oh boy."

"Since your mother died."

"Jeez that is some time."

“I never thought I could love again. I'm assuming not much has changed."

"You know I think Sophia is experienced enough to remind you of the ins and outs of it if you get my drift."

"That is your new Mum you're talking about." Edmund reminded him with a slight tone of warning in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm never calling her that."

"Son, I never asked your opinion on all of this."

"You getting remarried, I have no problem with it, I means it's not as if I even remember my mum."

"Marrying Sophia, given her past. "

Eugene paused, seeming to think about it.

"Dad, if she makes you happy, then you have my full support. I know I’ve only got to know her in this last week, but I can tell she’s a good woman. Still not calling her mum though."

“I’m sure she’s fine with that.”  
  


There was a knock on the bedroom door.

“Your Majesty.” Edmund’s persona adviser opened the door. “Everything is ready.”  
  


“Thank you.”  
  


“Sir, are you entirely sure about this? The security…”  
  


“My people have shown me a lot of trust, I need to show them that I trust them back. Besides, this is the first time the town has had a celebration like this, I want everybody to be able to join in.”  
  


The adviser nodded and turned to look at Eugene.

“The Captain is waiting outside.”  
  


“Just one minute.” Eugene answered. When he had left he turned to his father again.

“Are you ready for this?”  
  


“From the moment I saw her.”

***

The main street was lined with people, a few guards mixed in amongst them. They cheered as Edmund and Eugene walked down the centre of the street, waving flags and shouting ‘long live the king.’ They got to the far end of the street, just before the paving stones disappeared and the dirt path towards the camp begun. They turned and stood there waiting for a few minutes.

The street went silent, signalling that Sophia had left the chapel where she was making her final preparations. It took a few moments before they could see her, walking arm in arm with Varian.

"Wow Mumma!" Eugene whispered, taking in the sight of Sophia in her figure-hugging dress.

"I thought you said that you weren't going to call her that." Edmund said with a smirk on his face.

"You are a lucky man, and if I ever had any doubts that you were my father then they’re all gone knowing that you can land a woman like that.”

"I am lucky.” Edmund agreed.

Sophia had been looking down at her feet as she walked along the cobblestones, but now she looked up, and her eyes locked on Edmund. He smiled at her, and her face broke into a wide-open smile, he felt as if his heart was going to burst with happiness right in that moment. As she got close he reached out his hands to her. She turned and kissed Varian on the cheek as he let her go and stepped forwards, briefly laying her hand on Eugene’s arm. Then she turned to her soon to be husband, taking his hands in hers, and looking up at him her eyes reflecting the love that he felt for her.

“Hey.” She said nervously.

Edmund had to swallow several times before he was able to answer her.

“My love, I am so happy.”  
  
“Me too.”

“We are gathered here today…”

** The End. **


End file.
